NEW Welsh Assembly legislation for licensing nursing agencies came under attack yesterday for containing "dangerous" loopholes.

Under the proposed legislation, the Care Standards Inspectorate will inspect and licence nurses' agencies.

Assembly Health Minister Jane Hutt said the new laws would ensure that standards were consistent throughout Wales.

But Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for health, Kirsty Williams, raised concerns over a loophole that would enable people, who had been sacked for inappropriate behaviour to children and vulnerable adults, to be re-employed.

"Most people are hardworking individuals who care for their patients greatly, but that does not rule out the fact that in the past and in the future there are individuals who are determined to abuse children and vulnerable adults."

Miss Williams called for the legislation to be changed to ensure that the reasons for the termination of previous employment were compulsory for nurses hoping to join agencies.

She added, "Do not let us put children and vulnerable people in Wales at risk."

Shadow health minister Dai Lloyd said more safeguards were "very necessary" to protect children and vulnerable people.

"Without these additional amendments we feel these regulations will be imperfect."

Mrs Hutt insisted there were some circumstances which made it impossible to verify the reason why a person's employment ended, for example, when a previous employer has died.

She said, "The wording allows a degree of flexibility for genuine cases where verification cannot be obtained."

She added that further provisions would allow for the Welsh Assembly to refuse an application if reasonable steps had not been taken to verify why a person's employment ended.

Tory Jonathan Morgan said the loophole was "substantial" and said it was "farcical" to suggest that the Assembly could act as a check and a balance on "every single discrepancy and loophole".